Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication

Exploring Culture

I have gained a great deal of knowledge from my professor, peers, and classmates this semester. They have not only improved my language abilities but also assisted me in learning more about Spanish culture. The necessary application for passing the “Contrasena Lingrolearning” course was another element that aided in understanding Latin culture. Additionally, I was able to have conversations with people who lived in Spanish-speaking nations thanks to the TalkAbroad application.

In the practices of Lingro Learning; this online learning tool has helped me better understand values and attitudes in the Hispanic culture as well as my own. It taught me the drastic and similar differences that American and Hispanic cultures differ or share. This was challenging because I was so used to the culture that I live in now, so learning about the culture, holidays, and values practiced in Latin countries was hard to get used to but was however interesting. I learned about religious culture and the different aspects or lifestyles that can define one’s identity. For instance, we learned about Términos de identidad cultural in which told the story of Francisco Jiménez’s daily life and values.

Reading and following Francisco’s story showed me the different lifestyles originating from different cultures. For instance, my American morning routine would be different from one’s routine in Japan, India, or Mexico. Everyone lives from different perspectives and preferences and it’s nice to learn about others’ culturally curated values, routines, hobbies, and morals. In the screenshot below is an image of Fransico’s cultural identity stemming from the Lingro Learning application.

Engaging in Communities

Participating in both the local and global communities is crucial, and I believe it is imperative to increase one’s understanding of the principles behind community outreach. when individuals band together to participate in and enhance the local community while advancing each other’s knowledge and education.

Something that I did to help the community was to donate Christmas toys to people in need. This was a very nice experience because it helped people of all colors and ages. Giving back to your community can create a generous culture. I don’t know what boy or girl received the certain gifts that I donated; but what I do know is that there was a child that came from a background, ethnicity, or culture that was for Chanute enough from accessible resources. However, there is much power in culture and community. Therefore, creating and giving into an environment of need can help individuals from all countries and positions.

Interpersonal Communication

I have gained much experience with my Spanish speaking due to the utilization of Talk Abroad. I had to complete two Talkabroad audios where I had to converse with a foreign speaker in Spanish. The people I spoke with were very understanding and patient, and they spoke the language well. I learned from this experience that my speaking partners were always available to provide guidance and corrections.

However, this was difficult because I had never really spent more than fifteen minutes at a time speaking in Spanish before. I have done previous TalkAbroad sessions but I´m so used to speaking in small increments like answers a question or asking about someone’s day. I have advanced in basic conversations that dealt with birthdays, where I am from, hobbies, family, etc. Nevertheless, the TalkAbroad sessions this semester had 15 min conversations about what defines your identity, stereotypes, customs, culture, and influencers. This helped me broaden not only my Spanish vocabulary but increasing my skills in conversations.

I believe that my Spanish communication skills have significantly improved. I believe this because, across all the subjects I have studied this semester, I have covered a lot of vocabulary ground. However, I do experience anxiety when using this language. Whether it is they, us, or he/she, I have trouble matching the appropriate verb to the appropriate point of view. This semester, my professor has regularly included exercises that will help me comprehend the mistakes I make when speaking Spanish.

Presentational Speaking

Presentational speaking activities have helped improve my conversationalist skills and speaking. However, a big part of Spanish is not only the words but the accents. In the video below I have tried to incorporate the accent with the utilization of how Spanish speaking countries pronounce words. If I was an American reading a Spanish excerpt it would sound completely different from an original Spanish speaker.

Compared to my Spanish speaking from previous years you can hear more confidence in my voice; I also have tried to incorporate rolling my Rś and speaking based on where an accent of a word resides. I have grown in my talk and have noticed a slight pick up in speed. Things I can improve on is my confidence in what I am saying, it takes a while for me to completely piece together conjugations and verbs.

Presentational Writing

Writing articles and short essays has become easier as a result of practicing writing these types of writings, including letters to Spanish-speaking individuals. This writing piece was from the semester’s first project. It talked about the personal stereotypes we’ve witnessed and I spoke about how other countries could view America or Norfolk, VA. This was my first writing piece of the year and I can see how I have improved throughout the course.

Writing is very essential because it helps you formulate your words when you speak. It teaches you natural release if you were to conduct a conversation in Spanish. Writing is arguably my least strong suit, but this class has encouraged me to get creative and collaborate with others so that we can all improve and make adjustments to our developing skills. I counted myself fortunate to have classmates who were willing to study with me after school to assist me with my writing.

Interpretive Listening

Some listening activities I did this semester were constant partner-ups referring to the professor’s engagement activities in which we conducted a brief conversation. I had to actively listen to my partner to respond correctly. I also practiced interpretive listening from the Talk Abroad sessions. In many of the lingo-learning activities, I had to watch a video to gain knowledge on the specific topic whether it’s vocab, grammar, or the lingro learning quiz.

Speaking exercises involving pairs of a few students were among the activities that were discussed. This was beneficial because my classmates were there to correct me when I gave incorrect answers while I was speaking. We all exchanged ideas and supported one another. I did have some trouble understanding my professor at the beginning of the semester when she spoke in Spanish. But as the course went on, I was able to make sense of what was being said. Even now, when Spanish is spoken quickly and with hand gestures, I still have some difficulty understanding it, but I can still make sense of it by using my context clues. As I continue to learn Spanish, I believe that practice makes perfect.

Interpretive Reading

Some interpretive reading activities were mostly in lingro learning as this was our main application in which we read an excerpt and answered questions. Below is a script that was utilized for our learning.

Interpretive communication-related activities were essential. During my Spanish lesson, these exercises helped me get better at speaking, listening, and reading comprehension in the language. The Lingro Learning web application served as the main platform for these exercises, providing examples of proper word pronunciation. We were to use the context clues to solve reading passages that they assigned us to respond to. My instructor would write Spanish paragraphs on the board for us to read aloud during class. Considering that the English text contained some conjugated words and that I learn best visually, the reading portion of the assignment might seem easier. Even though it was difficult for me to get over my inner struggles, knowing that other people continued to teach me helped me become more proficient in Spanish.